Faithful until Death

Photo by CJ Scott

What is a handkerchief?  Not a common word said today or widely used since the creation of disposable handkerchief's in 1924 aka Kleenex (wiki). Besides the obvious use for handkerchief's, they were also typically given to another as a memento to remind the other of their love.  It was more commonly made by hand with added lace around the edges and details of flowers or emblems hand stitched into the cloth.  

I came across one in particular that was acquired after a close family member had recently passed away.  It struck me with curiosity as it was embellished with a familiar symbol of Ireland; Azure a harp (or stringed Argent).  This was a puzzling feature since the item belonged to a person with French descent.  In addition to the symbol, words in Irish Gaelic were also stitched into it.  The words were 'Fior Go Bas" which were later translated to mean "Faithful or True until death" (Google translate).  What a dramatic quote for a small dainty piece of cloth. 

I started thinking about my loved one who had passed.  I had never seen this item before in her house, so who was it that gave it to her?  Was it possibly from her second husband Arthur?  Arthur was also of French descent, but I had to consider the possibility that he may have given it to her.  What I knew of Arthur was that he was a very intelligent, successful man, and a WW2 veteran.  We had some small discussions around his service, and he would happily share a story of his rides on a Harley Davidson motorcycle in Italy.  I remember wanting him to continue with the story, but some how it just didn't feel like it was the appropriate time to ask more questions.  

Louis Arthur Desmarais was born on July 29, 1916, in Ontario. Revisiting his obituary from 2001 (Windsor Star) it stated that Arthur had actually served in an Irish regiment for 6 years. This would give us an estimate of his enlistment year around 1940.  The Irish Regiment of Canada originated in Toronto, Ontario in 1915.  This Irish Regiment in fact had an insignia very similar to what was stitched on the handkerchief.  It was also confirmed that the motto of this regiment was "Fior Go Bas" (wiki-Faithful Until Death).  Mystery solved!

Currently WW2 military records at Library and Archives Canada are available to the public identifying those that died in that war.  However, since he survived the war, my only option would be to request records from Veterans Affairs Canada.  It would be wonderful to glean over Arthur's military record to better understand what his personal experiences were, and what he may have had to do to overcome that experience.  Time will tell once I receive a response from Veterans Affairs.    

Another newspaper article was found in the Windsor Star showing Arthur's return home on April 8, 1946, at the Canadian National Railway station in Windsor Ontario.  The image provided identified him as Captain Louis Arthur Desmarais wearing a beret and caubeen head dress, which was commonly seen on other Irish regiment hats.  Along side him was his first wife Evelyn and first child Patricia.    

I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for his wife Evelyn to wait for him to come home.  It seems likely that Evelyn made this handherchief for Arthur so he would have something to remind him of home, or maybe she made it after he returned as a gift?  Based on the condition of the handkerchief it seems clear that it was cherished.  Its amazing how one romantic gesture of a handkerchief can create a story around another.  

© CJ Scott 2025